Zone 2 –

‘See when there’s a Sim Card in the phone, and you make phone calls, there’s a charge, do you know that kind of way??’

‘But I have an Unlimited Package?’

‘Oh, good man. That’s good.’

‘So why’d I get charged?’

‘See…generally the way we work is, when you use the phone….’

‘I know that, but I’m talking about an unusual charge, bein over charged, for calling Bulgaria.’

‘Ah, see, that’s Zone 2. Europe. There’d be a charge for that.’

‘For calling an Irish phone?’

‘Did you call an Irish phone?’

‘I did.’

‘Was the person you called in Ireland at the time?’

‘No. They were in Bulgaria.’

‘And you rang them?’

‘I did, and I got charged €49.’

‘Right, I see.’ He thought, then asked: ‘Did you pay it?’

‘No, I’m not liable for it, due to havin an Unlimited Package.’

‘Ah, I know what happened now. Sorry about that.’

‘Great, what happened?’

‘It’s your data.’

‘How d’ya mean?’

‘Well do you know the way lads would be goin on Facebook, or watching sports or that kinda thing….see there’s charges for that too. So what probably happened is….all that kinda added up, and…..you know yourself how it goes….’

‘But I’m not talkin about Data. I’m talking about a call to Bulgaria.’

‘Did you ever use Skype? Skype is great altogether…’

‘No. But. I need to get this sorted, can you take the €49 off the bill?’

‘What’s the €49 for?’

‘A call to Bulgaria.’

‘Oh yeah, that’s right. You said that. Hmm. See, that’d be Zone 2 really, I’m not sure if we can cover Zone 2, especially if it’s a Bulgarian number.’

‘It was an Irish number, that’s what I’m tryin to tell you.’

‘O….k. I see. An IRISH number. Can you hold there for a second?’

I can.

Minutes later, he arrived back. I had the feeling he was hoping I wouldn’t be there. ‘Hello, Michael?’

‘Yeah?’

‘I’ve looked into that for you now.’

‘And?’

‘Yeah, it looks like that was a Bulgarian number, not an Irish one, so we’ll charge you for that. You know that kind of way?’

‘But it was an Irish number.’

‘Oh yeah. That’s right. Anything else I can help you with? Are you with us for the telly?’

‘No, I don’t want the telly. I want the €49 taken off my bill.’

‘Yeah, I know what you’re saying. It’s strange alright.’

He let that hang. I let it hang. Then he went: ‘Were you on the phone for long to Bulgaria?’

‘55 minutes.’

‘Ah, see that’s it. It’s about 50 cent a minute to Zone 2.’

‘Is there anyone else I can talk to?’

‘About what?’

‘The €49.’

‘I’m afraid not. I’d be the highest up the ladder myself now, you know that kind of way? Would you ever think of comin with us for broadband, Michael…?’

(Includes Worldwide Delivery and Postage) Charlie’s out on bail and back on the sauce. Still devastated over the events of El Niño, he drinks to kill the pain and robs all he can to feel alive. But the past won’t give him peace. The police want him in jail. Kramer’s old crew have a price on his head, and his new employer has big plans to carve out his own niche in the criminal underworld — with Charlie at the helm. Roped into a series of audacious heists and ingenious schemes, he finds himself involved with illegal diesel in Westmeath, stolen cash machines in Mayo and violent debt collection in Galway. Couple that with his regular income of stealing wallets and robbing shops and you have a cyclone of a man roaring down a path to destruction. And bringing everybody with him. And then there’s Karena. The beautiful girl that may save him — but maybe she should know better? At times dark, others touching, and often comic, Mokusatsu is a fiction readers feast of Irish Crime Writing.